Syntimir Bayazitov has told about preservation of originality and historical heritage of Ufa at the Eurasian Congress in Istanbul

author: Alik Shakirov

The deputy head of Ufa administration Syntimir Bayazitov has taken part in the II Eurasian municipal administration congress “Planning and town transformation” on November 27-28 in Istanbul. As the Vice-Governor of Ufa reported to the news agency “Bashinform”, the representative of Ufa administration has taken part in such forum for the first time. 25 countries and more than 800 people took part in its work. Syntimir Bayazitov has made a report about preservation of Ufa originality and historical heritage. The report was met with high attention and interest and was accompanied with demonstration of the slides. In particular, it was interesting to know for many foreign guests that Ufa represented the megapolis, directed towards the future, with well-developed multi-branch economics, social and cultural spheres and stood in the list of ten cities in Russia with the population more than one million people. Here every fourth citizen of Bashkortostan lives. Representatives of more than 100 nationalities – Bashkirs, Tatars, Russians, Chuvash, Mari and others – live in Ufa in peace and harmony. All main world religions are present in Ufa. More than 70 archeological monuments, belonging to different epochs, including the unique ancient settlement of Ufa, which history was one and a half thousand years long, were discovered on the territory of modern Ufa.

The buildings, erected in the XIX century are carefully preserved and at present time the public institutions and organizations, education institutions and trade companies are located in these buildings. These buildings represent real decoration of the city and found under protection of the state.

It was also stated in the report the Ufa administration paid high attention to development of modern architecture. Thus, the Congress-Hall has become one of the most impressing and original modern projects in Ufa. Erected as an architectural-landscape center, uniting the Friendship Monument and the Salavat Ulaev’s Monument into one cultural-historical composition on the southern slope of Ufa, the Congress-Hall has become one more visit card of the capital RB.

The Ufa mosque and madrasah “LALA-TULPAN” – the Islamic cultural and educational center in Ufa – was opened in 1998. The symbol of the coming spring – the blooming tulip – the ancient symbol of Turk nations – was laid in the base of the project and its two minarets embodied two buds. The mosque’s capacity is more than 1000 believers. The height of every minaret is 53 meters and by this index the mosque holds the third place in Russia.

In the nearest future a new mosque, which has to become the biggest mosque in Russia, will be erected on the Salavat Ulaev’s Avenue. The overall area of its building will be about seven thousand square meters and the capacity of its praying halls – more than two thousand people, the height of the minarets – 71 meters.

The city monuments play special role in preservation of Ufa originality, the Vice-Governor said. The Salavat Ulaev’s Monument is one of them. The monument has long ago become a visit card of Ufa and an official symbol RB. It is placed on the Republic’s emblem. The monument was opened on November 17, 1967. Soslanbeck Tavasiev is the sculptor and the monument is considered the highest horse statue in Russia.

All conditions for preservation of cultural traditions and folk creation of the nations are present in Ufa, M-r Bayazitov stated. There are about 30 national-cultural centers, holding numerous national festivals, in Ufa.

The participants of the forum were especially interested in the story about the municipal folklore group “MIRAS”, which demonstrated a Turkish national dance within the frames of preparation for the international festival in Ankara. In June 2010 the group has played in Kazan in the theater by Galiaskar Kamal. In 2009 “MIRAS” has taken part in the international folklore festival in Portugal and Spain, in May 2010 – in the folklore festival “Spring and Sea” in the Turkish town of Marmaris and in July and August – in the folklore festival in France and Switzerland. At the end of August “MIRAS” has become a participant of the 36th international folklore festival in Bulgarian Burgas.

Not long ago the Government of Bashkiria has reached the decision concerning establishment of the museum of wooden architecture on the territory of Ufa, where the old streets of the city and wooden houses with fillets are to be reconstructed. At present time the town-planning and the architectural concepts of the future museum are found under development.